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Selling chametz form and instructions, 2018

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Ruthie Rosenstock

This document provides instructions for Jews to sell their chametz before Passover in accordance with Jewish law. It explains that not only is it forbidden to eat chametz on Passover, but Jews cannot own any chametz and lists a form to empower a rabbi to sell chametz on behalf of congregants. The form requires congregants to list all types and locations of chametz in their homes and offices and its approximate value to be sold to a non-Jew before Passover.

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SELLING CHAMETZ – INSTRUCTIONS AND FORM Aside from it being forbidden for Jews to eat chametz on Pesach, it is also forbidden to own any chametz on Pesach. In fact, chametz owned by any Jew over Pesach is not kosher, and can never be eaten even after Pesach ends. It is not sufficient, therefore, to merely clean chametz out of living areas and sequester it away in a protected place. Rather, if we wish to not destroy, consume, or otherwise discard all of our chametz, we must sell the remainder to a non-Jew. The instructions for selling chametz are listed below, along with a Power of Attorney form which can be used to empower Rabbi Unterman to sell chametz on behalf of interested congregants, or to sublet the home of someone who will be away for Pesach. 1. Please fill in the document carefully, listing the approximate values for the various categories of chametz whenever possible. If uncertain of the value, please overestimate. Please list your workplace(s) as well. 2. Only items which contain chametz, or items which may contain chametz, can be sold. (Selling an item can be used as a tool to avoid researching its contents and edibility.) Dishes, however, should not be included and any item which clearly does not contain grain or grain derivatives should not be included. 3. Although the shul’s sale works for all forms of chametz, some have a family custom or have personally adopted a custom not to sell ‫גמור‬ ‫חמץ‬ (absolute chametz, like bread, cake, oat, or wheat cereal, cookies, pretzels, rolled oats, crackers, beer, and whisky), and instead to give it away, eat it, or burn it. 4. In order for the sale to be legitimate, the non-Jew who purchases our chametz must have access to the chametz during Pesach. If you plan to be away during Pesach, therefore, please leave a key with a neighbor, and note on the Power of Attorney document that neighbor’s address and phone number. 5. If you will not be home and are leaving it vacant during the entire holiday of Pesach, and you wish to sublet your entire home in order to be free of the obligation to clean and check your home, you may do so as long as you fulfill the mitzvah of bedikat chametz – checking for chametz – in the place where you are staying for Pesach. You should complete and return
the Power of Attorney document to Rabbi Unterman by Error! Reference source not found. morning, Error! Reference source not found., and be out of your home before Error! Reference source not found. that evening. If extenuating circumstances determine that you will not be able to leave your home before Error! Reference source not found. night, Error! Reference source not found., or that you will not be able to perform a search on Error! Reference source not found. night, Error! Reference source not found., at your Pesach destination, then Rabbi Unterman will sublet your entire home but exclude one room from the sublease (as indicated in the Power of Attorney document below) so that you will be able to perform the mitzvah of bedikat chametz in that room. • If you are travelling east of East Brunswick, where the time for selling chametz is earlier than it is in East Brunswick, please make sure that this is noted on your Power of Attorney form. Rabbi Unterman will arrange an earlier sale time for your chametz. • If you are travelling west of East Brunswick, where the end of Pesach will occur later than it does in East Brunswick, please make sure that this is noted on your Power of Attorney form. Rabbi Unterman will delay the return of any chametz to your possession after Pesach ends. 6. The form must be signed by the legal renter/owner of the property where the chametz is stored, and by the legal owner of the chametz. When these are NOT the same person, both people should be involved in delegating the power of attorney to Rabbi Unterman, and should consult with him. 7. All forms must be delivered to Rabbi Unterman by personally appointing him as your agent. Please fill out your form in advance. Rabbi Unterman will be available for the sale of chametz at the shul by appointment, or immediately following mincha/maariv during the week (except Friday evenings). If you are traveling away before Error! Reference source not found., Error! Reference source not found., and are doing bedikat chametz at your home or workplace on an evening prior to that, the berakhah is omitted.
S E L L I N G C H A M E T Z P O W E R O F A T T O R N E Y Please fill out and submit this form to Rabbi Unterman by Error! Reference source not found., Error! Reference source not found.. DECLARATION OF POWER OF ATTORNEY: I, the undersigned, fully empower Rabbi Efrayim Unterman to act in my place and stead and on my behalf to sell and empower other parties to sell all chametz possessed by me knowingly or unknowingly, as defined by Torah and Rabbinic Law, and to lease and empower other parties to lease all places in which chametz owned by me may be found - especially at: 1.____________________________________________________________________________ (Home Address) (City, State, Zip) 2.____________________________________________________________________________ (Office Address) (City, State, Zip) Print Name:______________________________ Cell Phone (during Pesach):__________________ Signed:_____________________________________________ Date:______________________ The chametz that I possess includes, but is not limited to, the following: Type of chametz (e.g. liquor, groceries, medicine, etc.) Exact Location (e.g. kitchen, living room, closets, etc.) Approximate Value $ $ $ $ $ Total Value $ IF YOU WILL BE AWAY FROM EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ Keys to the sold chametz can be found with (full name):_____________________________, who can be reached at (phone number and address):________________________________________. Away for ANY PART of Pesach: I will be in _______________ when Pesach begins, and in _______________ when it ends. (City, State) (City, State) Away for ALL of Pesach: I specifically authorize Rabbi Efrayim Unterman to sell and empower other parties to sell all chametz located anywhere in my home at the above address and to lease and empower other parties to lease my entire home. (Only if doing bedikat chametz at home on Error! Reference source not found., Error! Reference source not found.: I wish to exclude the ___________________ room from the lease.)
Signed:_____________________________________________ Date:______________________

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Selling chametz form and instructions, 2018

  • 1. SELLING CHAMETZ – INSTRUCTIONS AND FORM Aside from it being forbidden for Jews to eat chametz on Pesach, it is also forbidden to own any chametz on Pesach. In fact, chametz owned by any Jew over Pesach is not kosher, and can never be eaten even after Pesach ends. It is not sufficient, therefore, to merely clean chametz out of living areas and sequester it away in a protected place. Rather, if we wish to not destroy, consume, or otherwise discard all of our chametz, we must sell the remainder to a non-Jew. The instructions for selling chametz are listed below, along with a Power of Attorney form which can be used to empower Rabbi Unterman to sell chametz on behalf of interested congregants, or to sublet the home of someone who will be away for Pesach. 1. Please fill in the document carefully, listing the approximate values for the various categories of chametz whenever possible. If uncertain of the value, please overestimate. Please list your workplace(s) as well. 2. Only items which contain chametz, or items which may contain chametz, can be sold. (Selling an item can be used as a tool to avoid researching its contents and edibility.) Dishes, however, should not be included and any item which clearly does not contain grain or grain derivatives should not be included. 3. Although the shul’s sale works for all forms of chametz, some have a family custom or have personally adopted a custom not to sell ‫גמור‬ ‫חמץ‬ (absolute chametz, like bread, cake, oat, or wheat cereal, cookies, pretzels, rolled oats, crackers, beer, and whisky), and instead to give it away, eat it, or burn it. 4. In order for the sale to be legitimate, the non-Jew who purchases our chametz must have access to the chametz during Pesach. If you plan to be away during Pesach, therefore, please leave a key with a neighbor, and note on the Power of Attorney document that neighbor’s address and phone number. 5. If you will not be home and are leaving it vacant during the entire holiday of Pesach, and you wish to sublet your entire home in order to be free of the obligation to clean and check your home, you may do so as long as you fulfill the mitzvah of bedikat chametz – checking for chametz – in the place where you are staying for Pesach. You should complete and return
  • 2. the Power of Attorney document to Rabbi Unterman by Error! Reference source not found. morning, Error! Reference source not found., and be out of your home before Error! Reference source not found. that evening. If extenuating circumstances determine that you will not be able to leave your home before Error! Reference source not found. night, Error! Reference source not found., or that you will not be able to perform a search on Error! Reference source not found. night, Error! Reference source not found., at your Pesach destination, then Rabbi Unterman will sublet your entire home but exclude one room from the sublease (as indicated in the Power of Attorney document below) so that you will be able to perform the mitzvah of bedikat chametz in that room. • If you are travelling east of East Brunswick, where the time for selling chametz is earlier than it is in East Brunswick, please make sure that this is noted on your Power of Attorney form. Rabbi Unterman will arrange an earlier sale time for your chametz. • If you are travelling west of East Brunswick, where the end of Pesach will occur later than it does in East Brunswick, please make sure that this is noted on your Power of Attorney form. Rabbi Unterman will delay the return of any chametz to your possession after Pesach ends. 6. The form must be signed by the legal renter/owner of the property where the chametz is stored, and by the legal owner of the chametz. When these are NOT the same person, both people should be involved in delegating the power of attorney to Rabbi Unterman, and should consult with him. 7. All forms must be delivered to Rabbi Unterman by personally appointing him as your agent. Please fill out your form in advance. Rabbi Unterman will be available for the sale of chametz at the shul by appointment, or immediately following mincha/maariv during the week (except Friday evenings). If you are traveling away before Error! Reference source not found., Error! Reference source not found., and are doing bedikat chametz at your home or workplace on an evening prior to that, the berakhah is omitted.
  • 3. S E L L I N G C H A M E T Z P O W E R O F A T T O R N E Y Please fill out and submit this form to Rabbi Unterman by Error! Reference source not found., Error! Reference source not found.. DECLARATION OF POWER OF ATTORNEY: I, the undersigned, fully empower Rabbi Efrayim Unterman to act in my place and stead and on my behalf to sell and empower other parties to sell all chametz possessed by me knowingly or unknowingly, as defined by Torah and Rabbinic Law, and to lease and empower other parties to lease all places in which chametz owned by me may be found - especially at: 1.____________________________________________________________________________ (Home Address) (City, State, Zip) 2.____________________________________________________________________________ (Office Address) (City, State, Zip) Print Name:______________________________ Cell Phone (during Pesach):__________________ Signed:_____________________________________________ Date:______________________ The chametz that I possess includes, but is not limited to, the following: Type of chametz (e.g. liquor, groceries, medicine, etc.) Exact Location (e.g. kitchen, living room, closets, etc.) Approximate Value $ $ $ $ $ Total Value $ IF YOU WILL BE AWAY FROM EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ Keys to the sold chametz can be found with (full name):_____________________________, who can be reached at (phone number and address):________________________________________. Away for ANY PART of Pesach: I will be in _______________ when Pesach begins, and in _______________ when it ends. (City, State) (City, State) Away for ALL of Pesach: I specifically authorize Rabbi Efrayim Unterman to sell and empower other parties to sell all chametz located anywhere in my home at the above address and to lease and empower other parties to lease my entire home. (Only if doing bedikat chametz at home on Error! Reference source not found., Error! Reference source not found.: I wish to exclude the ___________________ room from the lease.)